that nme tour was the best is yonks, still don't get white lies but florence has made the step from t'louis to a BIG venue seamlessly and her tunes are really growing on me, friendly fires are still top live and i may just have to see them again in april and glasvegas, ay i still fucking love 'em even if they still 'aven't introduced one of the christmas songs into the set. ace night out and made better still by finding quite possibly the only bar in cardiff not showing the rugby, and made weird by some bloke asking me to open up an art exhibition for him 'cos he was convinced i was someone i've never heard of from london. ah alcohol you strange beast!

missed fanfarlo's free gig at bristol's start the bus. sob sob sob but i'd already committed to fight like apeas the same night at moles. somehow i never caught fla last year but lots of people (well 4) had told me they were ace. and they were. a cross between sultans of ping, snuff and grand pocket orchestra. most bands sounding like that would've been awful but they were anything but. i loved the shouty chorus' (your fired your fired your fired! quoting alan sugar shouldn't work but it did) and the banter with the crowd. splendid. i also like kasms. lead singer was slightly bonkers. clearly influenced by sousix soux, lots of moves, some of which made me and some of which (like trying to climb up the chimney) were mildly irritating. but some good songs, and potential like that (HOW THE FUCK DID OUR, ER, EX EVERTON CHIEF EXECUTIVE LET) dan gosling (GO TO, ER, EVERTON SO CHEAP?). turbowolf's nu metal still gets on me tits though. they are only one of 2 bristol bands to get funding to do sxsw so expect them to be massive now i've slagged 'em.

finally passion pit were shit. i feel bad saying this 'cos quite possibley the most well dressed n nicest clothes seller in bristol and her equally beautiful companions all loved 'em and when they asked me what i thought i was so fed up i just couldn't lie!! it was the miami vice soundtrack mixed with the keyboard solo from stevie wonders i just called to say i love you. all set. i hated it. they will be huge though 'cos they were middle band on, the crowd went mental for 'em and the place emptied a little when they finished. headliners hockey were alright though - a cross between a poor strokes and a poor rapture which puts 'em a notch above quite a lot of bands i stood through last year. best band of the bill though were the opening one bear hands. they sort of were like we are scientists but with cleverer/more interesting song structures n chords and i'd happily see 'em again._________________Britain... It's not that Great!

normally i'm one of a good number of oldies at bristol gigs but, fuck apart from just looking old i felt old watching passion pit. the crowd was young, beautiful and fucking annoying

on reflection i still feel passion pit were shit. granted i said this about the killers when they supported stellastar. and i even said to the lead singer from kaiser chiefs that they were shit (not intentionally it was entirely accidental) when they supported ordainary boys. same with razorlight etc etc etc.... (actually all those bands have got even shitter haven't they?)

basically if i say a band is shite they tend to go global. but the people seem to like them and the people will like passion pit. anyhoo don't be disappointed by my opinion, sure i'm right about everything but the people do seem to disagree with me _________________Britain... It's not that Great!

apache beats - ace support slot to kyte. kyte are still ace to though i miss the xylophone player.

the joy formiddable - joyous indie that's kinda like a heavier breeders. absolutely amazing at fleece where they supported and were more enjoyable than

howling bells who were still good but whilst the debut album still sounds amazing and like a david lynch soundtrack, the newer stuff wasn't much cop and i don't think i'll bother with the new album._________________Britain... It's not that Great!

you'd have hoped that with 2 such esteemed people with quality taste remarking the same thing he'd have quit and we'd have been spared we are the angry mob etc etc etc. the world would be a better place if he had given up. he won't think that but we know it would._________________Britain... It's not that Great!

friendly fires at anson rooms last night. a top live band became topper. certainly up there with the best i've ever seen in the anson rooms - lighting and the additional brass worked really really well. set pretty perfect though shame jump in the pool was done so early.

other than that its still been pretty quiet recenty. the virgins were a pleasant surprise (oh please!) less polished sounding live and better for it. daniel land and the painters were pretty ace, the fauns are still lovely and farthing wood are getting better n better. they now have some tfc/go-betweens sounding songs in their set which is always pleases me. the new root were quite possibley the worst band i'll see this year though. accomplished musicians n that but fuck they were dreadful._________________Britain... It's not that Great!

i heart hiroshima @ fleece - a cross between the grates and the kills, thankfully more of the former though and that's why i loved 'em

crystall stills @ cooler - the doors without the boring bits. ace.

horrors at the thekla - they looked a bit cooler n more thearterical last time they played there but no doubt the songs n set was much better. ace album, ace set. i still really like s.c.u.m live to so that was a welcome support slot.

twilight sad @ fleece - still a fucking immense top live act. the new stuff a bit more accessible/commercial than the old but pretty sound on first listen.

fanfarlo's kinda beirut-esque set at moles.

middle class ruts deafening and pounding riff driven set at the louis. a kinda 2 piece version of ac/dc and janes addiction. i don't know why i would like a band with that description but, fuck, i did.

the neats, well, short n neat 15 minute set at moles. another band essentially ripping off the fall and pink flag era wire but they did it very well.

liked:

hatcham social at moles - it would've been loved 'cos their pure postcard sound was top until until until they finished with a remarkably shite seemingly never ending audience finishing instrumental.

a genuine freakshow at louis - kinda a poor version of gybe! crossed with arcade fire's funeral album. one i'll keep an eye on.

disliked:

factory floor at thekla - the theme to rhubarb n custard slowed right down, stretched right out and played non-stop for 30mins. one never ending loop of blancmange (the pudding not the band) like sounds. pish pish pish._________________Britain... It's not that Great!

The new album "Yes" is excellent too, and even if I sound like Kinkster when I say this, I think it's the best they've released for years and it's possibly my favourite album of 2009 so far too... until next Monday at least! I could recommend it to anyone who likes their older stuff..._________________
"Tommy Boo has played a pivotal role in my life. I've looked up to him since I was a kid and he has inspired every note of music I have ever written. The man is a fucking genius"
-BC